Quickfury
by BornRoyalty
Summary: Strange criminal activity in Metroville leads to one big confrontation. Unlikely teams must join together to save the city. Follows the life of Dash Parr after he leaves for MU! Rated T for some strong language.
1. Moving Day

I've had this story in my head for forever and now, I've decided it's time to put it to paper… or whatever. Please be so kind as to drop a review when you've finished reading. I hope you all enjoy!

"_Hello and Welcome. It's eight o'clock. I'm Eileen Winters…"_

"… _and I'm Robert Grant, and this is 'Hero Watch."_

"_A downtown Metroville bank was rattled last night by the sudden reappearance of The King Cobra. Witnesses say he entered through the east entrance of 'Metroville Bank and Financial' and is reported to have coerced the bank manager into opening the bank's vault using his Hypno-gaze. Authorities investigating the crime say it's unusual that King should make a move on the bank today, as neither he nor Viper have been active since the Grand Star Bank hold-up and robbery in Municiberg late last December. According to official reports, the first Super to reach the scene was Quickfury, who was unable to apprehend Cobra. Quickfury was not available for comment. However, The Heroes' League: Metroville West press liaison Carmen Chavez had this to say."_

"_When the alert was sent out late yesterday afternoon, Quickfury was three counties over in Rich Bay. By the time he was able reach the bank, Cobra had already been long gone. The League is using all of its resources to find Cobra. We've even extended a request to Metroville's East Unit to aid in the search. However, if you have any information on the whereabouts of the criminal Eugene "The King Cobra" Bradly, we would ask that you please call the League's crime prevention hotline. Thank you." _

"_And you'll find that number on the bottom of your screen. A terrible loss for the Supers, is it not Bob?"_

"_It is indeed, Eileen. In other news, League officials gathered for the first time in 3 years today to hold a formal hearing for former weapons design expert and arms dealer Buddy Pine, also known as Syndrome. Pine was the lead conspirator of the infamous Operation Kronos, which brought about the deaths of several notable Golden Age Supers, including former League director Gazer-Beam. According to League West Chief, Mrs. Incredible, new information has been brought to light that would indicated that Pine had several backers who invested in his plot to eradicate the Supers. Three years ago, February, Pine was found guilty of his crimes and received a life sentence with no chance of parole. He's been serving his sentence at Callonbright Prison since his arrest seven years ago. So far, no news has been released concerning the progress of his new trial."_

"_Metroville East has quite a mess to clean up this morning, after a night of running after The Underminer and Badger. We go to our man on the street, Paul Kiernan, for the story. Paul?"_

"_Thank you, Eileen. East Metroville is in recovery today after a four hour struggle against The Underminer and Badger. At 11:36 last night, the Drill emerged between the Hoover Building and the West Avenue Theater. The team proceeded to travel down Carson Boulevard in an attempt to penetrate this building behind me, Garrekson Industries. Garrekson is a world leader in weapon design and chemical warfare. The team was first intercepted by Team Nightfall of the East district. Group member, Messenger, led the counter attack against the Underminer that took the scuffle down by the Longmire Bridge, leaving a mountain of destruction in its wake. She had this to say:"_

"_Neither Metroville Unit East, nor Unit West have encountered The Underminer or Badger since their attack on the Haydenburg building nearly two months ago. Since that time, Underminer has found a way to strengthen the outer shell of The Drill, making apprehension that much more difficult. Leading the team through the city was a necessary evil, and in the end led to the capture of __**both**__ the Underminer and Badger. We've sent the duo up north to The Labyrinth, were they can expect to stay in a new cozy steel cell. The Citizens of Metroville can rest assured, they will __**not**__ be digging their way out this time. Thank you."_

"_Metroville East released a statement an hour ago saying that The Iron Maid is flying in from her tour of the Paris office tomorrow afternoon, until which time, the east side will be on lock down. Medical relief vehicles are roaming the area, however unless citizens are in need of immediate medical assistance, officials are asking that East-Side residents remain in their homes. Back to you, Bob…"_

"Good morning."

"Good morning! Sounds like you had a busy night, last night." Helen Parr muted the TV and turned to face her son. "And I see you got a pretty early start this morning."

Dash began shuffling through the fridge. "Yeah, I wanted to get a shift in before we started moving my stuff out, so I got up early and got the green light from The Russian to take an early shift. It was cool. I got to lead a sewer search for Cobra."

"Yeah, I just heard about it on the news. Did you uncover anything you missed last night?" Helen poured herself a cup of coffee and seated herself at the table.

"Nah, but I called Agent Chavez this morning, and she's going to try to get Predator to take a look. She said if they get any leads she'll give me a call."

"Hmm… Well it looks like the east-side took a pretty good hit last night. And channel five is dragging Messenger through the mud for it. She wouldn't be taking so much heat if she would just transfer over to Metroville West. I've tried and I've tried to convince her to switch over but she just won't budge. And the annoying thing about it is, Unit East isn't going to do a single thing to take the pressure off of her, and she made the right call."

"Yeah? What happened?" Dash garbled through a mouth full of bread.

"Oh," she set her mug down, "The Underminer and Badger tried to break into the Garrekson building last night, and Nightfall had to bait them out by the Longmire Bridge. Apparently the east-side is in shambles because of it. But it's better the buildings and streets be scuffed up than the Underminer getting his grimy hands on Garrekson weapons technology. The Iron Maid's going to have a lot of work on her hands when she gets back tomorrow. But hey, if anyone can clean up that mess, it's her. The east-side will look as good as new by Wednesday."

"How did Messenger get lead on an Underminer attack? Shouldn't her unit chief have been the Lead?"

"Well from what I've heard through the grapevine, Silver-Hawk is grooming her for an official high-ranking position."

"No kidding? She's not even really a Super. She must be bringing in a lot of good press."

"Well she may not be a Super by blood, but she does have one hell of an aim." Her lip curled in a faraway smile. "I would love to get my hands on her, just to see what she could do with a little proper instruction."

"Mm-hmm, And how'd the trial go yesterday?"

"Oh, _that man_ is unbelievable. He simply refuses to crack on his backers. We're bringing in The Reader this afternoon for a session to see if he can dig anything from his memories, but I'm not expecting much. I may have to stop by the office though, while we move stuff into your apartment. I hope that's okay?"

"Yeah, that's fine. When are we getting a move on?" Dash said, his eyes now sparkling with anticipation for the day that lay before him.

"Well, your father's on his way back with the moving truck, but there are going to be a lot of detours now that the east-side is shut down." Helen pushed herself determinedly out of her chair, wiping her hand gently on her pant legs then placing them at her hips. "Do you want to start bringing stuff out while we wait?"

For the next twenty-five minutes, the two hauled smaller pieces of furniture down the hall and into the living room, leaving the larger items for the man of the house. When he arrived, loading the truck only took about fifteen minutes, and then they were off.

Time seemed to fly as they drove to Dash's new apartment complex. In about a week's time, Dash would be starting his first semester at Metroville University, and although his newfound freedom excited him, it also scared the hell out of him. It meant he was really an adult now, no matter how many burning building he ran into, or bad guys he put down, being a Super did not an adult make. Of course, the league was taking care of his living expenses, as being a Super was basically a full-time job, as well as making sure he could afford groceries and paying off his U-bill. But still, this was the beginning of a new chapter in his life, and he could either run with it, or run from it. So he decided now was as good a time as any to take charge of the situation.

"Hey, Dash!" he heard someone call from behind him. Turning around, he came face to face with Alex Orlov, his best friend since Kindergarten. Alex, was a tall, sturdy guy with olive skin and dark brown eyes. When he spoke, his voice was always deep and warm like a crackling fire. The rhythm of his voice was slow and soothing, but his character was open and friendly, and he was always out to make people laugh.

Trailing behind him was another friendly face, Mac Chambers. Mac and Alex were as close as brothers. Mac practically lived with the Orlov's after his father died twelve years ago. He was almost as tall as Alex, with a broad chest and chestnut hair. His eyes were a dark hazel, and his lips were always set in a slight downturn, giving him the constant appearance of seriousness. However, you could never find a more loyal friend than Mac. He gave Dash a short nod, as Alex lifted Dash up in an unexpected and lung crushing bear hug.

"This is it!" he said excitedly, setting Dash roughly back on his feet. "We made it! We are officially college men!"

Dash chuckled. "I don't think we're 'officially' college men until we make it through our first class, but…"

"Okay, well at the very least, we're free agents!" he roared, bringing his arms up over the two boys' shoulders and howling excitedly. They laughed.

"Are Bo and Kishen here yet?" Mac finally said. "We're supposed to go for lunch when we're done settling in, and I'm starving."

"I don't know." Mused Alex, "… but I guess we'll find out when we get up there, huh?" He gave them a hard clap on the back, then proceeded to lift a large overstuffed duffle bag over his shoulder, and entered the building."

"Well, he's excited." Dash said to Mac. All he got in response was an amused cocked eyebrow, as Mac lifted his own pack and followed Alex into the building.

Dash shook his head good naturedly as he headed back to help unload his things. Three spaces back he saw the Orlov's unpacking the two other boys' things. Mr. Orlov was standing shuffling around inside the trailer, moving items for what Dash assumed was optimum hauling position. He was a big man, not fat, but muscular. He was even taller than Alex, but had the same olive complexion, the only differences being that he was red-faced with an impressive goatee and dark bushy eyebrows. However, his eyes were a morning sky blue that sparkled with good humor and amusement. He wore a torn up grey t-shirt with a front pocket containing his leather wallet, and a pair of faded blue jean that draped over his thick-soled work boots.

Behind him, with her hands at her waist stood his wife, who was in comparison fair-skinned with black hair that was pulled into a tight bun. She stood back watching her husband fuss with her son's belongings, occasionally chipping in with her input on how to positon the items. She was rather short and fragile looking, as if her skin was made of porcelain, and at any moment she might fall over and break in the a million pieces. However, after knowing her for as long as he had, Dash knew that when it came to Marina Orlov, looks were definitely deceiving. She was strong and clever, and everything she did, she did with purpose. She stuck to her guns, but she wasn't close minded. This was a trait that she passed on to both her children, though it showed itself in different ways. Her eyes were a deep dark brown, with the occasional maple fleck. Her eyebrows were thin an angular, and the skin between them crinkled as she watched her husband's slow progress.

Clear at the back of the trailer, hauling the smaller items onto the pavement was Alex's younger sister Charlotte, who seemed to be having a leisurely conversation with her friend Lizzie Lockhart. Charlotte was a year younger than her brother. She too had olive skin, but it wasn't nearly as dark as her brother or father's. She had dark brown hair that was pulled into a long thick ponytail, the loose strands held back by faded red bandana which she had fashioned into a headband. Her dark rimmed honey eyes met Dash's, and she smiled and lifted her hand to wave.

"Happy Moving Day!" she called out, her normally soft voice booming with second-hand excitement.

Dash just smiled and waved back, ducking down into the back seat of his father's car and grabbing his own pack in order to hide the blush that was creeping up his neck. Dash had been 'in love' with Charlotte since he first met Alex. He and Alex and the other boys they played with would often find themselves forced to play with her and her two friends Lizzie and Jessica Paxton. When they played house, Dash always took special care play the 'reluctant' dad to her mom. The following year, it was made perfectly clear that girls were carriers of cooties and were not to be played with by any sane boy, and by the time Dash was old enough to like girls again, he was held back by new rules such as: sisters are off limits to any good friend.

However, this didn't stop Dash from quickly smoothing his hair back, tucking his shirt loosely into his belt, and digging through his mom's purse for a stick of gum. When he reemerged two minutes later bag in hand, he saw that his mother had also seen the Orlov's and had made her way over to gossip with the Missus.

Finally content with his progress, Mr. Orlov hopped down from the trailer and smoothed a rough hand over Charlotte's hair lovingly. "Do you mind staying with the trailer while I begin moving stuff up?" he said.

Charlotte smiled, and shook her head, leaning forward as her father placed and kiss on her cheek. "Thank you."

"Tony, if you wait a second, I'll help you move the big stuff." Dash's father said, carefully angling himself to jump down from their own trailer."

Mr. Orlov nodded. "I will, thanks. And I'll be happy to return the favor."

"Alright, and Helen? Helen?" Mrs. Parr turned away from her conversation with the other woman, looking at her husband. "Would you mind keeping an eye on our trailer?"

She nodded. "Of course, sweetie." She and Mrs. Orlov moved to sit on the back end of the Parr's trailer, as the men began to move things in.

Okay, there's chapter 1. I hope you liked it. Please leave me a review and let me know what you think about how things are going so far.


	2. Je ne Regrette Rien

**I'd like to apologize in advance. My French is horrible, but I'm doing my best! I haven't taken a class in 2 ½ years (aka high school.) But all the same, please enjoy, and English subtitles are in "." Also, please leave a review!**

"_Hello and Welcome. It's 8 o'clock. I'm Eileen Winters…"_

"_And I'm Robert Grant, and this is 'Hero Watch."_

"_Breaking News tonight: Metroville police have surrounded the Garrekson Building for the second time in just two days, after building security issued an alert indicating that there was an intruder in the lower level vault. We go to our eye in the sky, June Wei, for the story. June?"_

"_Thank you Eileen. About an hour ago, local authorities were called to the scene of a possible break in at Garrekson Industries, the second attack on the building in just 36 hours' time. Within the past hour, police vehicles have completely surround the area, and are patrolling at a fifteen block radius. About thirty minutes ago, SWAT teams attempted to infiltrate the area, but were stopped when a pressure tile set off a series of explosives, leaving eight members of the team in critical condition. Now, the only thing officials can do is stand by and wait for the perpetrator to emerge…"_

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The air was thick with tension as the officers waited for the action. Dash took a quick scan of the perimeter before finding the man in charge. Police Chief Charles Mason. He was an older man, but he was tall and sturdy, with mocha brown skin, and salt and pepper hair that complimented his dark moustache. Dash had worked with him on several occasions and liked him immensely. He was never too proud to accept help and was always open to hearing suggestions, but he was also a genius strategist and tough as nails.

"Chief!" Dash said, approaching the old man.

Mason didn't even look up from the monitoring screen. "I was wondering when you'd show. You feeling lucky tonight, son?"

"Yes, sir."

"And, have you been filled in on the details?"

"I have a good idea, sir. I've been following your progress on the police monitors."

He looked up then, raising an eyebrow and laughing. "What, you carry one of those clunky old things around with you?"

Dash smiled and pointed to his ear, where a small listening device sat, barely visible. "Courtesy of Edna Mode."

"Ah! And how is Edna?" He asked, eyes returning to the screen.

"She's…" Dash struggled to find the right words. "She's Edna."

"Mm-hmm..." The chief said understandingly.

"Are you thinking it's Bomb Voyage, sir?" Dash asked after a short pause.

"I wouldn't doubt it, but we'll just have to wait and see. SWAT had troubles getting access, so those that are left are on the sidelines with my boys. It's odd though, this place getting hit twice. It makes you wonder."

Before Dash could respond, the sound of an explosion ripped through the crowd as the lobby wall erupted in smoke. As the rubble cleared, Dash watched, preparing for action, as two perps stepped out, one an older man and the other a young woman.

**{Quick reminder. Subtitles are }**

"Freeze," yelled one of the cops, lifting his weapon as the rest followed suit. "Drop the bags, and put your hands in the air."

The woman smiled in faux amusement. "Aw, les petits hommes bleus. Je regrette, mais, je ne parle pas le poulet!" _[Aw, the men in blue. I'm sorry, but I don't speak pig. (lit. chicken)] _

_Bomb Voyage's face pinched in distaste as he said, _"On se casse. Ça sent la volaille par ici!_ [Let's go. Smells like bacon around here!]_

Tossing her long silver-blonde hair over her shoulder, the woman lifted her hand, and before Dash could think to react, the pavement behind him exploded. Dash latched on to Mason, and, bracing his neck, surged forward, grunting as he hit the concrete.

Setting Mason on the pavement and checking his outward vitals, Dash yelled over the orchestra of car alarms set off by the blast, "Are you alright?"

"What?" Mason yelled back.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Dash yelled again, louder and leaning forward this time.

"Yeah, yeah." Mason cooed, patting Dash on the shoulder, "Just get the bastards."

Dash smiled. "You got it, chief!" he said running off in their last seen direction. They were gone. Dash looked around as dozens of other Supers emerged from the rubble induced fog, scanning the scene.

"Where did you…" Dash stopped when he saw a lone man-hole cover, sitting lightly uneven at its post. "Gotcha!"

"Hey!" he called, catching the attention of most the Supers and a few policemen. With his finger, Dash brought their attention to the round entrance.

"I'm going down after them." He said, once the group had gathered. "Smokescreen, Screech, cover me."

They began to move forward when someone from within the crowd spoke. "This is _east_ territory. We can take care of this ourselves."

_Animal_ stepped forward bearing sharp, yellow-stained teeth. He had thick, bristly eyebrows that came together in a furrow, and a long, crooked nose. He stood short and hunched over, a dirty light brown pelt grew on his exposed flesh. He wore a filthy army jacket and dark, torn-up shorts, leaving his 'bottom claws' exposed.

Dash sighed. "West-side is just here to help, Animal."

Animal scoffed. "What, you think just because you lead one _measly_ search through the sewers that now you're an expert tracker. Well, let me tell you something, '_Incredi-boy_;' we don't _want_ your help! We don't _need_ your help! Get lost, kid. The grown-ups will take care of these geeks."

"Unclench, Animal." Iron-Eagle, a boy about Dashes age stepped forward. "If they're willing to help, they can help. You're distracting from the problem at hand, and you're and wasting time we don't have. Trance, Creature, split these people into groups and set up a perimeter around this and the next few blocks. If they emerge before these three find them, we'll get a hold of them. Twitch, follow them down. If shit gets real, you're going to need a quick escape. And Messenger… Where's Messenger?"

"She's been down in the sewers since the story _broke_." Animal sneered.

Eagle's eyes widened slightly. He turned back to Dash. "You four, Go! Now! Try to get to them before she does."

"And what will you be doing, oh Captain, my Captain?" Animal hissed mockingly.

"I'll be keeping an eye open from above." He said stonily before shooting skyward as regally as the animal he was named for.

Animal scowled, as Twitch, a burly, dark-skinned boy, tore the cover up off its perch and gestured for Dash to 'by all mean, lead the way.' "He can't tell us what to do." Animal snarled. "He's not even a chief."

Someone to his left, Scorcera, a pretty, chocolate-skinned girl, rolled her eyes. "Just fall in, A." she said, annoyed.

The last thing Dash saw before descending, were Animals cold yellow eyes boring into him.

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The smell of the sewers was almost overwhelming. Dash whispered a silent 'thank you' to Edna Mode for the liquid resistant design of his uniform. Twitch, however, was not so lucky, groaning in disgust when he hit the water. East-side Supers wore suits made by European designer Phillipe. No last name, just 'Phillipe.' Phillipe was new to the Super-game, and as a result, the suits he made were nothing in comparison to the works of art that Edna was constantly cranking out.

"Phillipe." Twitch cursed under his breath. A common curse among east-siders. The corner of Dashes mouth turned upward, as he began the forward march.

The tunnels seemed to go on forever, as they waded through the goop. Not one of them relaxed as they moved through the silence. Dash had become so used to nothing but the sound of sloshing water around him that he almost jumped from his skin when he heard a woman's voice ring from the tunnel exit straight above.

"Bomb Voyage…" She said confidently. "… et Bomb-a Petite! Si ce sont pas mes deux scélérats néfastes favoris. Il me semble être perdu. Dit-moi, Savez-vous ou se trouve la bank? _[If it isn't by two favorite nefarious evildoers. I seem to be lost. Tell me, do you know where I can find the bank?]_

Climbing up the grimy latter, Dash saw Bomb-a Petite take a lazy step forward. "Ah, Factrice," she said, addressing Messenger, "Quelle surprise! Bienvenue a la…" she paused grabbing hold of something at her belt. "…BOUM! [_What a surprise! Welcome to the… PARTY! *because, ya know, puns!]_" Lunging forward, Petite released a flat, blinking disc toward Messenger, who rolled to the side barely escaping the blast. From where he was standing, Dash could see Messenger's small frame leaned securely against the tire of a dirty red pick-up truck as she nonchalantly checked the ammunition within her gun.

Happy with what she saw, Messenger stepped from her hiding place. Spreading her arms sheepishly, she said, "Je suis désolée d'être en retard! _[I'm sorry I'm late!]"_

Bomb Voyage began to step forward, but his daughter stopped him with an uplifted hand. "Je m'en occupe. [I'll handle this.]" Voyage, gave a short nod, and continued moving southward.

As quickly as he could, Dash signaled to the others to remain where they were and pulled himself free from the hole, using the moment to his advantage. Neither Messenger nor Petite seemed to notice the movement.

The sun was just beginning to set, as the two woman slowly circled each other, sizing the other up. They did this for some time until, suddenly, Bomb-a Petite halted. She began removing her jacket, revealing a pair of goggles, and hundreds of tiny, intricate devices hanging from a holster she wore like a back-pack around her shoulders. She then proceeded to remove the holster, followed by a grenade riddled belt. Removing the goggles from a latch on the holster, Petite set her belongings on the sidewalk, then turned back to face her opponent. Pulling the goggles on, she raised a challenging brow.

Messenger smiled and nodded, as if perfectly willing to oblige. Pulling her raven-black hair over her shoulder, she first removed a small back-pack and dropped it to the ground, not even bothering to set it safely aside as Petite had done. A shotgun, and dozens of strangely shaped bullets spilled out from the bag. Next, she removed a pair of silver pistols from the holsters at her waist, giving them a short twirl away from Petite before placing them on the ground, the whole time keeping direct eye contact. Next, she hiked up the fabric covering her left leg to reveal, a series of daggers that sat sheathed around the outside of her boot. Throwing the pack to the ground, Messenger straightened, stepping forward and away from the pile she had just made.

Petite smiled, and with a thick accent, she said. "No pulling of the hair?"

Messenger nodded. "Allons y! [Let's go!]

Petite was the first to make a move. Lunging forward, she threw a punch upward which missed Messenger's face by a centimeter. Dodging the blow, Messenger rolled left as her leg connected with Petite's stomach causing her to double over as the breath left her. As quickly as Petite lost control, she gained it back, as she somersaulted forward avoiding a second blow. She rallied, and with almost blinding speed, Petite unleashed a series of heavy blows which Messenger blocked with equal precision. Suddenly, Petite made contact, using both hands to push the other girl a couple feet back, before taking a quick step forward and taking to the air in a roundhouse kick that sent Messenger flying backwards across the street.

Messenger landed on her hands, using the motion to propel herself into a back hand spring. She landed in a crouching attack position and allowed Petite to initiate the next attack. Letting out a sound similar to that of a battle cry, Petite moved forward once more, leaping again as she brought her left leg high, preparing to bring it down hard on Messenger's spine.

From her crouched position, Messenger sprang forward into a swan dive/roll, causing Petite to come down hard on the cement. Petite let out a loud cry, as her heel made contact with the pavement, falling to her back-side. Rolling with unbelievable speed, Petite crouched forward, ready to spring into another assault.

Her eyes widened as she saw Messenger move toward her. Using her whole body for leverage, Messenger left the ground, soaring forward as her body flipped forward. Dash shivered as her back foot made contact with Petite's head, who fell to the ground unconscious. Messenger landed steadily on her feet in a ready position. Seeing that she had won, she relaxed her arms, bringing them to her sides as she began moving back towards her belongings. She was just under the bridge when, "Watch out!"

BOOM! Dash rushed forward, securing Messenger firmly in his arms. He allowed his momentum to propel them through the air as the bridge came down behind them. Dash landed on his back, knocking the air free of his lungs and causing him to instantly release Messenger.

Coughing and shaking the dark hair from her eyes, Messenger placed her hand firmly on Dash's chest, using her other hand to elevate herself. She looked down at him, bewildered, and gaining awareness of their situation, she shot to her feet. Pulling a concealed pistol from under the tail of her shirt, she swung around to face Petite, who was once again at the ready.

"Mains en l'air, salope! [Hands in the air, bitch!]" She said, each word cold as the steel in her gun.

Petite gave a small smile, then slowly complied. "Touché!" she consented.

The corner of Messenger's lip twitched upward into a smile like stone. "Bonnie nuit." She said, releasing a dart that hit Petite directly in the left shoulder. An electric charge surged from the spot immobilizing her. It lasted about a second, and then she hit the pavement once again.

Dash sat up, shocked. "Did you… kill her?" he said, disbelief painting his words.

Messenger smiled as she began reassembling her wardrobe. "No," she said finally, pulling her pack over her narrow shoulders, and handing him a twin dart. He examined it and found that it had some sort of amber liquid inside it. "…just knocked her out."

Dash gave it a small upward throw, then caught it again in his palm. From the corner of his eye, she saw her jump.

"I'd be careful if I were you. It's all fun and games until the vial breaks. Then you'll really be in for a shock." Dash chuckled sheepishly, then handed it back to her.

Walking toward Petite's motionless body, she brought her hand up to her right ear. "It's Messenger. I have Bomb-a Petite in custody. Requesting further instructions." She was silent for a moment, then. "Understood."

Turning back to Dash, she said, "I suppose I'll just… wait here then."

Dash nodded. "I guess that sounds like a plan."

"I've heard about it." someone yelled from the hole as he was crawling out. "I've read about it!" he said finally pulling himself free. "… but that is the first time I have EVER seen it! Whooowee!" Twitch howled running forward toward Messenger. "Damn, girl! You're like some kind of Charlie's Angel!" He moved in for an excited hug, but she took a weary step back. "What's wrong with you girl? You don't got no love for the Twitch?"

"Trust me, man, I love you, but…" she paused, giving him a once over, "… you're COVERED in sewage."

Twitched looked down at himself. "Oh… yeah! I'm just gonna… go home and… change my uniform."

She nodded, "Yeah, you should probably just go ahead and burn it! Then I'll give you that hug!"

"I'll hold you to that!" he said pointing at her as he began running up the street, then he disappeared around the corner.

Dash shot around instantly, as something crashed to the ground behind him. In front of him kneeled the Iron-Eagle, who rose to his feet. His eyes met Messenger's, who was securing her pistols in her hip-holsters.

"You went off by yourself?" He said. A statement more than a question.

"Yeah. I figured they'd make an escape through the sewage system. Garrekson is too high-risk a facility to escape notice. Most of the duo's activity occurs south of the building, so I stationed myself here to intercept, provided that my hunch was correct."

"And if your hunch was wrong? You can't just go off on your own, M. You're part of a _team_!" he said angrily.

"A _team_ who knew exactly where I was." She said, her voice cool and level.

"And you were going to, what, take the two on by yourself?" he prodded.

"As you see." She bit, clearly annoyed by his tone.

"You're acting like a child! You are not acting as part of this Unit." He yelled.

"And you are over-stepping your bounds, soldier." She said, her eyes now burning. "You are _not_ my unit chief. You are not even '_a'_ unit chief. You have no authority over my position on this squad, nor do you have any right _act_ as my superior."

Eagle let the silence settle over the street as he glared at Messenger, his breath heavy. "You know perfectly well," he almost whispered, so silently that Dash had to lean in to hear, "my position." He walked past her bumping into her as he did so. Lifting Petite over his shoulder, and sighed before turning back. Passing Messenger, he said quietly, "This isn't the end of this."

"I know," she breathed, as he sprang up, fading into the clouds. "I know."

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Bomb Voyage was practically screaming as he was loaded into the police car alongside his daughter who said nothing. "You have the right to remain silent…" the officer began.

"Je dirais rien sans un avocat! [I won't say a word without my laywer!]" he screamed, followed by several curses.

Messenger listened to this for almost a minute before slamming the door in his face. "Ferme ta clape-merde! [Shut the f**k up!]" she growled through the glass. He was silent for a moment, but then returned to screaming, louder this time. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she walked away.

"Hey, nice work today!" Someone yelled from her left. Turning, she saw Quickfury running toward her. "You really kicked ass."

"Thanks," she said, giving him a small, tired smile.

She was about to walk away, when she heard him say, "Oh, a 'thank you.' I was starting to think you did know how." He smiled.

"What?" she said, startled.

"To say 'thank you.'" He said, still grinning as he stepped forward. "I stopped a bridge from falling on your ass, and all I got was electric sleep dart thrown at me."

She knew he was joking, but she still felt obligated to say something. "I… handed it to you."

"Maybe," he came even closer. He smelt like a strange combination of fresh air and smoke. "…but you never did say 'thank you.'"

She smiled now, shaking her head at his open flirtation. Leaning forward, close enough to feel his breath on her cheek, she whispered, "Merci… Dash. Je te revaudrai ça." Then she slipped away, walking past him.

He stood there, stunned for a second then turned and yelled after her, "I understood 'merci!'"

She laughed looking back at him over her shoulder for a second, then walked away.

Dash let out a whistle. "Wow."

Looking over, he caught the eye of Chief Mason, who was laughing.

"What?" he said, defensively.

"Boy, you don't even know it yet." He said. Seeing the confused look on Dash's face, he broke into an even heavier fit of laughter, turning away, and leaving Dash to stand there like an idiot. The last thing he saw before turning to leave were the cold, bright yellow eyes of Animal. Never blinking, never leaving him.

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**Ok, Chapter 2. What can I say? I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sorry if my French was horribly unfaithful. Please, please, please leave me a review, and tell me what you think. Merci!**


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